Always dispatching
Founded in Portland
Before work starts
On our workmanship
Licensed crews
Water heater service in Portland
Lovett repairs and installs tank, tankless and heat pump water heaters across Portland, pulls the permit on every replacement, and covers the work with a 1-year workmanship warranty.
No hot water, rust in the hot line, or a ring of damp on the floor around the base. Lovett diagnoses the unit first, repairs what can be repaired, and pulls the Oregon permit when replacement is the right answer.
A water heater rarely fails without warning. It gets loud, it runs out sooner than it used to, the hot side turns cloudy or rust colored, or a ring of damp appears on the floor around the base. Each of those symptoms points at a different component, and they are readable in a set order: fuel or power supply first, then thermostat and burner or element, then anode condition and sediment load, then the tank shell itself.
Most tank repairs finish on the first visit. Thermocouples, gas control valves, upper and lower heating elements, temperature and pressure relief valves and anode rods are known wear items and the trucks carry them. What cannot be repaired is a tank that has rusted through. Once the steel shell is weeping, the unit is at the end of its service life, and that is exactly why the diagnosis has to come before anybody quotes work.
Replacement is permitted work in Oregon. Lovett pulls the plumbing permit, installs to current code and stays with the job through inspection. That covers seismic strapping, correctly piped temperature and pressure discharge, an expansion tank where the system is closed, and venting and gas line sizing matched to the appliance going in. Permitted work also leaves you with a clean record when the house sells.
Sizing is the other decision worth slowing down for. A 40 gallon tank suits one or two people, 50 gallons suits three or four, and larger households often need a bigger tank or a second unit. Tankless is sized by flow rate in gallons per minute and by how many fixtures run at the same time. Bathroom count and simultaneous demand drive both numbers, so we ask about the morning routine before recommending a capacity.
Four system types, three fuel sources, and a different failure profile for each one. Here is what each needs from a technician.
Storage tanks are still the most common system in Portland homes and they fail in predictable ways. We replace thermocouples, gas control valves, heating elements, dip tubes and relief valves, flush hardened sediment off the tank floor, and swap depleted anode rods. If the shell itself has corroded through, we say so plainly instead of selling a repair that buys a month.
On demand units fail at the sensors and the heat exchanger rather than at the shell. We work through flow sensor faults, ignition and venting errors and manufacturer error codes, and we descale the heat exchanger. Descaling is the single maintenance item that decides how long a tankless unit lasts, and it matters more on harder water.
Heat pump water heaters run roughly two to three times more efficiently than a standard electric resistance tank, and they may qualify for Energy Trust of Oregon incentives depending on your utility. They need adequate air volume around them and perform best in unconditioned space, so we measure the room before recommending one.
Old unit out, new unit in, permit pulled, old tank hauled away. Moving from tank to tankless, or from electric to gas, also means new venting, a resized gas line or a new circuit. We scope all of that into the written estimate rather than discovering it halfway through the install.
The technician checks fuel or power supply, tests the thermostat, inspects the burner or elements, reads the anode and sediment load, and traces any moisture back to its actual source. A damp floor is sometimes a relief valve discharge or a loose inlet fitting rather than a failed tank, and that difference decides the entire job.
You get the finding in plain language and a written estimate before any work starts. If a repair will genuinely extend the life of the unit, that is the recommendation. If the tank has reached the end of its life, we say so and size the replacement with you rather than dropping in whatever is on the truck.
Lovett pulls the Oregon plumbing permit on a replacement. The new unit goes in with seismic strapping, correct temperature and pressure discharge piping, an expansion tank where the system is closed, and venting and gas sizing matched to the appliance. The inspection is part of the job, not something handed back to you afterwards.
We run a full heat cycle, confirm output temperature and recovery rate, and check every joint under pressure. The old tank leaves with us for disposal. Before the truck goes you get the operating walkthrough, the manufacturer paperwork and the terms of the 1-year workmanship warranty.
Tell us what the unit is doing and we will get a technician on the schedule. If there is water on the floor, shut the cold supply valve above the heater and call. Emergency dispatch runs 24/7.
4.9 Google rating from 500+ verified reviews · 1-year workmanship warranty · Free on-site estimates
Catching any of these early is the difference between a part and a whole unit.
Brown or yellow water from the hot side only points inside the tank. Every storage tank carries a sacrificial anode rod that corrodes so the steel does not. Once that rod is spent, the tank lining is what the water starts working on. Caught early this is an anode replacement. Caught late it is a new unit.
A healthy tank is quiet. Banging and popping means minerals have hardened into a layer across the tank floor and water is boiling underneath it. That layer insulates the burner from the water, pushes the gas bill up and cooks the tank from the inside. A flush can recover a young tank. Years of buildup usually cannot be reversed.
Damp around the base needs an answer that day. A relief valve discharge or a loose inlet fitting is a repair. Seepage from the tank body itself is a structural failure that cannot be patched, and the tank should come out before it opens up. Shut the cold supply valve above the heater, then call.
4.9 Google rating from 500+ verified reviews.
“I hadn’t lived I’m my new place for ten days when a pipe broke. Dan came first thing the next morning, cut a 5×10 hole in the wall and capped off the pipe – problem solved! He also took the time to turn down the heat on my hot water heater, and explain the plumbing system to me. I wish I could give him another star.”
Homeowner, Portland, OR
“Dan from Gladstone was prompt, courteous, and thorough in diagnosing our plumbing issues and finding a good solution. He was experienced and knowledgeable and offered good advice for maintaining our bath/shower plumbing going forward.”
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“Gary was phenomenal. We received a call from Lovett the night before to confirm, and from the moment he arrived (right on time), Gary was able to diagnose the issue, find the water cut-off (our property management is useless), work with us to get the water turned off to our unit, and fix the issue…”
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“I live on the first floor of a condo, where the plumbing line is shared with the upper floors. I contacted Lovett for assistance when my kitchen sink overflowed, and Diego was outstanding in determining that I wasn’t responsible for the backup.”
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“Tech Justin was very good to work with. Friendly , knowledgeable , good communication through out project. Left job site tidy.Will use Lovett for future projects”
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“Lovett was dispatched to fix a leaky bathtub faucet in our rental home, and the service I received was top notch! Jill reached out to me quickly and was able to schedule us for the next day.”
Homeowner, Portland, OR
“I’ve now had two very positive experiences with Lovett, one with Cody and one with Cameron, both of whom were very helpful and efficient. Most of all I appreciated their communication and how they helped me understand the plumbing issues.”
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“We had an emergency last night at our community. I called Lovett and got an actual person on the phone right away. The plumber Sarah showed up in short order with a fantastic can do attitude, ready to get to work right away.”
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“Brandon was a lifesaver. In just two hours, he figured out what our rental maintenance team and another contractor couldn’t—the leak was coming from upstairs. He didn’t stop there either.”
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“I had a kitchen sink issue. Lovett came out, and Greg was my tech. very smart and informative. He was efficient and clean. He answered questions. And my sink was cleared up in an hour. I was so thankful for the service and reasonable price.”
Homeowner, Portland, OR
Dispatch reads every request and the right crew calls you back. For an active leak or backup, call instead.
Read by our dispatch team, normally answered within one business day. For an active leak or backup, call 971-204-8148 instead.
971-204-8148. A live dispatcher answers 24/7, including weekends and holidays.
info@lovettservices.com
6920 NE 42nd Ave
Portland, OR 97218
Mon to Fri 7am to 5pm
24/7 Emergency Dispatch
Four signals matter most: the tank is past ten to fifteen years old, the hot water runs rust colored, the tank rumbles or pops under load, or there is standing moisture at the base. One of those on its own may be a repair. Two or three together on an older tank usually means replacement is the more reliable call, and we will tell you which it is after the diagnosis rather than before.
Yes. Our technicians handle routine maintenance, mineral descaling and full tankless installation. Tankless units have their own venting, gas load and electrical requirements, and they fail at the flow sensor, the ignition assembly or the heat exchanger rather than at a tank wall. We diagnose against those systems instead of treating a tankless unit like a storage tank with no tank.
Yes. Oregon requires a plumbing permit for a water heater replacement. Lovett pulls the permit on your behalf and installs to current code, which includes seismic strapping, proper temperature and pressure discharge piping, an expansion tank on closed systems, and correct venting or gas line sizing. Permitted work also protects you at resale, when an unpermitted appliance can hold up a transaction.
As a starting point, a 40 gallon tank suits one or two people, 50 gallons suits three or four, and larger households often need a bigger tank or two units. Tankless is sized by peak flow rate in gallons per minute instead of by volume. Final sizing depends on your number of bathrooms and how many fixtures draw hot water at once, so we ask about the morning routine.
We service and install all major brands, including Rheem, Bradford White, A.O. Smith, Navien and Rinnai, across both gas and electric models. If your existing unit is a brand not listed here, contact us and we will confirm parts availability before scheduling. We are not tied to a single manufacturer, so the recommendation follows the house rather than a supplier relationship.
Yes. Heat pump water heaters are roughly two to three times more efficient than a standard electric resistance tank and may qualify for Energy Trust of Oregon incentives depending on your utility. They need adequate surrounding air volume and work best in unconditioned space such as a garage or basement. We assess the room first and will say plainly if your installation location is not a good fit.
A conventional storage tank generally lasts eight to twelve years with routine flushing and timely anode rod replacement. A tankless unit can exceed twenty years when it is descaled regularly, which matters more on harder water. Once a tank is past the ten year mark and needing repairs, replacement is usually the more dependable option than a second repair on aging steel.
A standard tank swap normally takes two to four hours from draining the old unit to testing the new one. Converting from a tank to a tankless system takes longer, because the gas line, electrical circuit and venting path often need modification. We confirm the expected window with you at the estimate so you can plan the day around it.
It depends on what failed. A single part such as a thermocouple, relief valve or heating element is a much smaller job than a full replacement, and a tankless conversion sits higher again because of the venting and gas work involved. You get a written estimate with the scope itemized before any work starts, so there are no surprise charges on the invoice.
It depends on household size, fuel type, available space and how much hot water gets drawn at once. Tanks cost less to install and are simpler to service. Tankless units take up no floor space, deliver continuous hot water and last longer with maintenance. We compare the two in detail for Portland homes in our guide, Tankless vs. Tank Water Heaters: A Portland Homeowner’s Guide.
Aging galvanized or pinholing copper feeding the heater gets replaced in PEX or copper.
Shower valves, faucets and the fixtures the heater feeds, repaired or replaced on the same visit.
A ruptured tank floods a utility room fast. Crews dispatch around the clock.
Lovett has been repairing and replacing water heaters across Portland and SW Washington since 1997. Permit pulled, installed to code, backed by a 1-year workmanship warranty.
4.9 Google rating from 500+ verified reviews · 1-year workmanship warranty · Free on-site estimates
